Earthquake Tips

Building Models

There are two ways of constructing earthquake models. One is commonly used by scientists - a computer generated 3D model. These normally require expensive software and a good grasp of computer lingo. The other is a live scale model. The easiest ones to construct are built from springs and ball bearings. A flat piece of plywood is anchored to 4 springs in each corner. The springs are then anchored to a fixed platform. From here, structures, buildings, and mountains composed of pebbles are placed on the plywood.

For example, a group of university students built a similar model, but included 3 walls. They attached pictures to the walls, a computer and desk, kitchen table and chairs, a bed, and a ceiling light. 4 people stood behind each corner of the room and pushed in an X manner. The harder they pushed the greater the simulated magnitude was. They simulated a 7.5 magnitude to test new anchor brackets used to secure household objects.

This is just one of the examples used for quake models. Located in the links section of this site will be a link to the USGS where there is a detailed article on another way of constructing quake models.

Tectonic Plates

This is a theory that unifies many the characteristics and features of Continental Drift. This theory holds that the Lithospere is divided into about 7 major plates with (to the best of our knowledge) 12 smaller ones roughly 60 miles thick, which rest on a soft layer called the asthenosphere. The 25 mile thick continents are embedded within some of these plates, the rest are along the ocean floor.
What moves them is still unknown.

Jan 14, 2001 - New Zealand

The Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, reported a 3.4 earthquake at 6:53 am. It was 10 km east of Wellington.
Two other quakes were recorded the day before, one in Southern California and a significant Quake in Mexico.

New Zealand

This was a question from a viewer: Why does New Zealand have earthquakes?
A: Australia and the Pacific meet along the Alpine Fault, and the Eastern South Island is colliding and sliding southwards (and uplifting the Southern Alps in the process).
New Zealand straddles the boundary of two tectonic plates, the Pacific Plate and the Australia Plate, which move approximately 40 millimeters per year. This movement has been directly linked to volcanic and earthquake activity.
Trimble GPS receivers are used to measure the movement.

Volcanoes

Earthquakes do not cause volcanic activity. to that is Different earth processes are responsible for volcanoes. Earthquakes may occur in an area before, during, and after a volcanic eruption, but they are the result of the active forces connected with the eruption, not the cause of volcanic activity.